Wish people would stop hating on the band

Michelle........I'm so confused at this point! Lol.

There does seem to be a lot of negativity on this board towards the band. I understand not everyone has had a positive experience... myself included... but there are better ways to share experiences without making people feel attacked or belittled for their choice.

If I had to get banded today... knowing what I know now...  I wouldn't.
(I would get VSG)

If I had to make the decision again... without my current experiences.... I would still choose the band.


I decided to fix my port after much debate. (I actually had a VSG revision surgery scheduled.) While I still feel deep down that the VSG would be a better option for me... I also still remember the reasons why I chose the band in the first place; the main reason being I didn't want a "drastic" procedure. I believe VSG to be drastic.

So since I don't own a time traveling DeLorean... I am working with what I have now. I have THREE years (pretty up and down) of experience. What I have learned from it.

... I expected the band to do more work than me.
... I expected it to be easy.
... I expected the weight to fall off.
... I didn't expect the head hunger.
... I didn't expect the depression.

I could go on and on. But I will stop there.

I am scared ****less that I am going to have pain, and chest pressure, and PB'ing experiences ALL over again once my port is fixed. I am terrified I will resort back to slider foods for comfort. But the thing that I have going for me this time... that I didn't last time... is experience.

I have done A LOT of soul searching. I have a plan this time.

I am going to keep my band a tad looser in hopes of avoiding pain, chest pressure, PB'ing etc. I know that by doing this I am going to have to work harder with my band. I am OK with this. I HAVE to be.

Do I risk still running into the same issue anyway. Yes. From other people’s experiences on the board, it looks like there is a real possibility I will STILL experience unexplained pain. But I have to do what is right for me. I have an upper GI that shows I have nothing wrong with my band. So I am going to try keeping looser restriction... now that I will hopefully be able to control & keep consistent restriction.

It is going to be hard, but in the last two weeks of being completely unfilled I have learned that VOLUME eating IS STILL an issue for me. And the band took that monkey off my back.

As for my kryptonite... ice cream... well I have finally slayed that dragon. I have been abstinent for over a month. I have to be. There is no sometimes for me. I have to cut it out of my diet completely. Also something I learned through my journey.

There are a lot of people out there living HEALTHY lives and completely 100% happy with their decision to be banded. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of them on this board. Maybe because they are out living the wonderful lives they worked so hard to achieve.

The lack of “support" on this board IS unfortunate. If I was a newbie... I would be hella scared reading this board.

Yes I have complications. Yes I am scared that I am making a big mistake getting my port replaced. I tried to ask for support on my decision, instead I had VSG revisioners telling me my decision made no sense.

So I decided I am going to share my story... but in a way where I can offer the facts. How I feel. My experiences, WITHOUT alienating people. Help them make an informed decision. Because no one was talking about these issues when I was researching it. 
 
I personally WANT to know the good and the bad, so I stay here. It is more "real". I just don't agree with HOW people go about it sometimes. But that is life. So be it.

I wish all newbies successful journeys and I hope each and every one of you have no complications. Sorry for the long rambling post. I hope I am making sense.

~There does seem to be a lot of negativity on this board towards the band. I understand not everyone has had a positive experience... myself included... but there are better ways to share experiences without making people feel attacked or belittled for their choice. ~

Yes there is a lot of negativity...........the band is negative.............the band stats are negative. It is what it is.

Yes there are better ways of sharing experiences than making ppl feel attacked or belittled for their choice. THAT WORKS BOTH WAYS! I have been attacked on this forum NUMEROUS times! I have been told NOT to post on here just as one of the ladies in this very thread just said to Wasa! Some ppl think that ONLY positive should be told on  here. I disagree! I have never come on here and told someone they shouldn't come on here and say how wonderful the band is b/c my band expericence is bad. I don't start threads saying "dont be loving on the band". I feel ppl have every  right to have whatever opinion they want about the band. I also feel any pre-op should have the right to come on this forum and hear the truth about the band!!!

Also any bandsters that is having problems needs to be able to come on here and see that they are NOT alone!!! And they need to be able to state their band problems WITHOUT BEING ATTACKED AND BLAMED!!!

~There are a lot of people out there living HEALTHY lives and completely 100% happy with their decision to be banded. There just doesn't seem to be a lot of them on this board. Maybe because they are out living the wonderful lives they worked so hard to achieve. ~

No...........actually NOT. There are a few. Not many. But the other forums have them. I hear that excuse all the time on the band forum about how the long term successfull bandsters are too busy to post on here anymore b/c they are out living their happy skinny life. NOT true! Some are. Very few. Why is it that u think all the other WLS forums have long term ppl posting on there but u don't have it on the band forum????????????? Those ppl have been more successfull with thier WLS. So why aren't they out living their happy skinny life and too busy to post on their forum???????????

"No...........actually NOT. There are a few. Not many. But the other forums have them. I hear that excuse all the time on the band forum about how the long term successfull bandsters are too busy to post on here anymore b/c they are out living their happy skinny life. NOT true! Some are. Very few. Why is it that u think all the other WLS forums have long term ppl posting on there but u don't have it on the band forum????????????? Those ppl have been more successfull with thier WLS. So why aren't they out living their happy skinny life and too busy to post on their forum???????????"

Yes there a plenty of people who have success. It is almost ridiculous to suggest otherwise. I have several friends who have had excellent success with the band... and they continue to support new and old bandsters on message boards. Just not this one... hmmm  I wonder why?

I for one... don't feel very welcome on this board. So why would I come back? I am here right now because I NEED support. Unfortunately it is becoming clear that maybe this isn't the right place.

When I talked about getting a VSG revision, and went to VSG board... I had support out the wazzoo! Now that I am back on the band board, I can feel the hostility. So yeah... I sure wouldn't be coming here if I didn't NEED to.

I applaud the long timers that want to share their positive experience. Thank you.
I also applaud those who share there negative experience. Thank you.

People need to hear BOTH types of experiences to make an informed decision.

But lets do it in a non-confrontational way. Really. This is a HUGE decision.

I have had lots of bad experinece with the band. I honestly don't think I would recommend it. But I sure as hell am not going to make newbies feel like **** for a decision they felt fit them best. 

Maybe in a few months... I will be singing a different tune. Maybe getting my band repaired will turn out to be a bad deicsion. But when faced with spending almost $11,000 for a revision... verses less than $2000 for a new port.... I willl make this decision over and over again.

And people wonder why this board is slow?

~I for one... don't feel very welcome on this board. So why would I come back? I am here right now because I NEED support. Unfortunately it is becoming clear that maybe this isn't the right place.~

What I said was NOT to make u feel unwelcome! We have a difference of opinion of a few things. I don't expect ppl to agree with me 100% or even 50%. Ppl are different and it shouldn't be otherwise. That's just how we are. I did though feel the need to point out a few things u said that I didn't feel were accurate.

~I have had lots of bad experinece with the band. I honestly don't think I would recommend it. But I sure as hell am not going to make newbies feel like **** for a decision they felt fit them best. ~

No one tried to make a newbie feel like **** that I am aware of. The newbie started this drama by making a post about ppl "hating on the band". Some ppl seem to think that there should only be the happy "positive" band posts on here. I disagree. There should be both. B/c ppl need to see what the band is REALLY  like!

It coud be said that she made ME feel like **** by implying that I shouldn't post on here about my band experiences which she refers to as "hating on the band".

Yes I realize she is a newbie and needs support. BUT PPL WITH BAND PROBLEMS NEED SUPPORT TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Again though............this is NOT said to make u feel unwelcome on the forum. We just disagree. No big deal. Actually I have been made to feel  unwelcome on  here on numerous occasions so I would never intentionally want to do that to anyone else. As I have said many times on  here. Just take the best and leave the rest. OH can be a great resource
.

Maria... I am just making observations. You personally have not made me feel unwelcome. It is just more of an all around vibe I get from the board. I didn't mean to imply it was you personally.

It is just frustrating to come here and see thread after thread about "band bashing"

And when I post a question, or a post for support.. that post sinks slowly to the bottom. Frustrating. Maybe unwelcome was a poor choice of words.

Unsupported is more accurate.

Oh it's no problem. And I understand very well the "unsupported" thing! Lol. And I realize that a lot of ppl think I am unsupportive, but I am just supportive in other ways. There are plenty of "band cheerleaders" on here. And for the ones that do that with out placeing blame on the bandsters not doing well I applaude them! So though I am not always on here encouraging and doing the "just give the band more time" thing............I do support in my own way. I have given a lot of support to other bandsters that were unable to get in on their own forum. And I give support to those pre-op by letting them know that the band might NOT work for them and giveing them the opportunity to consider other options and decide what WLS is best for THEM. And band or not............I do wish EVERYONE the very best in whatever WLS they choose b/c obesity is something I don't want anyone to have to live with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Block two people (both of whom may be on here as there are gaps for me in the thread). You will immediately wipe out the NASTY negativity. What will remain is the useful bit - people warning you (calmly and pleasantly) what to look out for in case you do have problems.

And contrary to an earlier post - lots of successful bandsters are out ther leading their lives. I stopped posting fo about two years ago. My life was just too good and too busy! Then I retired, had more time and came back.

Kate

I had one blocked, Now blocking the other since I know who it is!
I am loving my band.
The consequences of being obese are more frightening than anything.

The band CAN have irreparable consequences for MANY.  Take a look around THIS forum!  Take a look around the failed forum.  Take a look around the revision forum.  Come on seriously ALL these people can't be totally wrong.

And just FYI when having the sleeve you are LESS likely to develop stomach cancer.  Actually I'm not sure if you researched it BUT the sleeve IS the surgery they give to those with stomach cancer and ulcers, it's called a Partial Gastrectomy and it removes the part of the stomach that is MORE prone to stomach cancer so having a VSG can actually SAVE you from stomach cancer.  In addition in researching the sleeve there was a FAMILY who after some DNA tests would be prone to develop cancer so they opted to have their entire stomachs removed.  So having a sleeve is a GREAT thing...theirs was called a FULL Gastrectomy.

I know you WANT to see they good but I wouldn't walk into a rose field and ignore the thorns.

Ms Shell